October 21, 2004 — Construction workers will place the last beam of steel on top of the new 7 World Trade Center today, making it the first rebuilt skyscraper to "top out" after the September 11 attacks. As WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports, New Yorkers have mixed emotions about the new, 52-story structure.

Construction workers will place the last beam of steel on top of the new 7 World Trade Center today, making it the first new building to "top out" after the September 11 attacks. As WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein reports, New Yorkers have mixed emotions about the new, 52-story structure.

If you notice it, it’s with a jolt, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, perhaps. What IS that?

Greg Gaglio: I noticed it on the other side of Brooklyn, walking across, I had no idea it was part of the trade center complex, I just thought it was a new building going up.

Even standing next to it, you feel disoriented:

Its nice looking, different than the other one, you know, kind of lost my bearings here a little bit, this is West Broadway we used to go right down to the old buildings right here.

Seven World Trade Center is slimmer, a little taller, and more elegant than its predecessor, with green-tinged glass lining its façade. The old pink building was destroyed in the aftermath of the attacks on the twin towers.

Cosmetically it’s a little bit prettier, easier on the eyes the other building was boxy kind of dark, but I like the windows and the fact that its bright and airy that’s good on the eyes.

Andrew Ewen works at the Bank of New York next door. He was here on 9/11.

I’m just amazed by how quickly they put the building up its reassuring feeling to see the neighborhood is coming back.

But Ewan wonders if maybe it wouldn’t be better to have more green space and fewer buildings. Electrician Peter La Nausse shares that worry.

LaNausse: I think its you know it s good that we’re getting back on our feet as new Yorkers and you know we’re trying to reestablish our economic trade based on these buildings but I don’t know its kind of a scary situation as well because I’ve always felt they shouldn’t have put back these buildings because its kind of like a memorial ground you know a burial ground and things like that and put back up these buildings and not leave it as a monument of memory is kind of disrespectful.

Tourists thought so, too. Katerina Kumpner is visiting from Hamburg, Germany:

Kumpner: I would prefer it be more like this, because this is more like what happened so I just told my friend, a few eyars ago there was these large beuilinds and now there’s nothing and this is more like what happened.

Po Chu of Battery Park walks by every day. She’s grown used to that absence.

Chu: Its’ kind of funny now that these towers are not here you don’t really look at this direction to look for something any more so to be honest I didn’t realize until you told me it’s almost done.

When the Freedom tower goes up, it will be TWICE as tall as this already tall building. City worker Rich Sackerman says he’s looking forward to that.

Rich Sackerman, about a week ago I was driving twenty miles away from new jersey coming and I saw the Brooklyn Bridge and you just don’t see the towers and I can’t wait for the brand new building to be there I want to see something there

In front of the bank of New York Building, office workers Maria, Olga, Ina, and Lucen pausedsfor a smoke. They’re not so sure they want to see a forest of buildings when they look south.

Person: unfortunately we don’t have time to look up you surprised me its so big right now…

Person: we can’t used to it, you can’t get used to it no no we can’t used to the empty area, no no, we like this one

The women say they like having 7 World Trade Center back, but they aren’t so sure about the Freedom Tower, which will rise twice as high.

Olga: now I don’t like such a huge sky scrapers, that’s enough.

The 1776-foot tall freedom tower WILL rise, the world’s tallest building. That building is expected to “top out” two years from now. For WNYC, I’m Andrea Bernstein.